Konpa (コンパ) are a type of Japanese drinking gathering held by university students in a casual drinking establishment called an izakaya, and are more relaxed than the traditional nomikai. It is often suggested that this word originally came from German: Kompanie, English: company, or French: compagnie, although the exact root is unknown. These gatherings are intended for developing friendships or deepening relationships with members of the same affiliated group or with the opposite sex that benefit Japanese socially in their careers and in their lives.
History When Japanese university culture was first established during the Meiji period (1868–1912), the custom of members of the same class or dormitory drinking together to deepen their bond of friendship began. These gatherings were largely restricted to members of the same sex until after World War II when mixing between the sexes became increasingly more common. The modern manifestation of this drinking custom is the konpa of today. In recent years, young professionals continue to hold konpa even after graduation from a university, often to find a potential spouse, but the definition of konpa (as opposed to the all encompassing nomikai) restricts it to young people and is very rarely participated in after marriage.
Current practice Konpa are heavily planned, and an appointed organizer (termed kanji in Japanese) often seeks out the location, determines a time, and sets the price for each attendee. The participants in the parties are pre-determined, and it is not typically accepted to attend or join in a konpa if one is not invited by the kanji. Attendees typically sit on the floor on a sitting cushion (see: zabuton) around a long table in a secluded area of the predetermined venue. In some cases attendees will be seated at one or several Western-style tables. As typical of Japanese drinking gatherings (see: nomikai), konpa often begin with an opening speech from a senior member or organizer and a toast. Drinks are brought in by a wait staff along with various types of snacks thought to go along with alcohol (termed tsumami in Japanese). It is typical to have a time-restricted "all you can drink" period termed nomihōdai (or nomihō for short) that is paid for by a set fee. This often comes along with a certain number of snacks, and extra items can generally be ordered for an additional price. A beer-only "all you can drink" period is usually cheaper than an all-inclusive period including heavier liquors. This system is conducive to the heavy drinking prevalent among Japanese university students, which is viewed as a way of relaxing to permit more uninhibited conversation between attendees. It is common for attendees to drink to the point of vomiting or losing consciousness. It is usually the duty of the organizer to ensure that everyone has all of his or her own belongings and that they return home safely.
Variations
Freshman welcoming konpa Japanese: shinnyūsei kangei konpa (新入生歓迎コンパ) or abbreviated shinkan konpa (新歓コンパ) As new freshmen enter the university setting, student organizations, clubs, sports teams, and/or dormitories often recruit them heavily. Many of these groups schedule welcoming konpa for any interested freshmen, and offer free drinks. It is an opportunity for incoming freshmen to meet members of various organizations in a socially risk-free environment that provides the aforementioned free drinks for the first few rounds of the shinkan konpa. The cost of the freshmen’s drinks is typically spread evenly among group members, or is paid for through either organization funding or alumni. As many incoming freshmen have little experience drinking alcohol, for many Japanese the shinkan konpa is the induction into Japanese drinking culture and their first nomikai. It is common for the upperclassmen to test the tolerance limits of the attending freshmen by encouraging heavy drinking or chugging. As there are several rounds of these shinkan konpa, there is a perceived escalation of commitment if a freshman continues to participate. It is common in the last round for a freshman to make a commitment speech to the group.
Seminar konpa Japanese: zemi konpa (ゼミコンパ) The Japanese seminar course or zemi is a small focus group of students who, with a supervising professor, study a similar topic together in a course setting for two years and write a graduation thesis upon completion of the course. These students, with their professors, often go out to drink after a long evening of studying. It is common for a professor to pay for the entire amount or a large bulk of the bill. Some zemis will include alumni of the seminar course to offer job-hunting advice to students. A "thesis completion konpa" (sotsugyō ronbun uchiage konpa, abbrev: sotsuron uchiage konpa) is also usually held after students have finished presenting their thesis.
Send-off konpa Japanese: oidashi konpa (追い出しコンパ) or abbreviated oikon (追いコン) Before seniors graduate, the groups they are affiliated with on campus (usually the zemis or various clubs) often have a send-off konpa for them. In this case the seniors are usually not required to pay any of the bill.
Joint konpa Japanese: gōdō konpa (合同コンパ) or abbreviated gōkon (合コン) Gōkon is a party where those looking for a relationship with the opposite sex participate, and is similar to the Western practice of blind dating. The usual spread is 4 females and 4 males, or 3 males and 3 females, though occasionally there will be a large gōkon organized with as many as 20 of each sex. There is usually one male who organizes a group of his friends, and one female who brings her friends. It is common for students to have gōkon with students from other universities. See: Gōkon, Group dating
Sex konpa Japanese: yarikon (ヤリコン) There are some cases where both parties come into a konpa expecting to engage in sexual acts at the completion of the konpa either at a home, at a dormitory, or at a love hotel. In the case that the participants are looking specifically for a sexual encounter instead of a serious relationship, the konpa is called a yarikon. This word is derived from the Japanese slang yaru, to have sex, and the kon from "konpa."
Drinking games
To keep the konpa lively or to increase the collective use of alcohol, it is common for participants to participate in drinking games. Although most of these games are simple, they become more difficult as participants become more intoxicated. Some of the most common games include:
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